Fence-picket



(No Model.) W. THOMAS.

PENGE PIGKETV. No.267`,948. Patented No 21 11882 Is l WITNESSES 27%,www@ `attractiveness with the iron UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILBER THOMAS, OF QUINOY, ILLINOIS.

FENCE-MCKET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 267,948, datedNovember- 21, 1882. Application tiled July 24, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern ABe it known that I, WILBER THOMAS, ofQuincy, in the county of Adams and State of Illinois, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Fence Pickets, Palings, &c.; andI do hereby declare that the following is is a full, clear, and exactdescription of theinvention, which will enable others. skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadtothe accompanying drawings, which form a partofthis speciiication.

This invention relates to fence pickets, palings, and the like; and itconsistsY in certain improvements in the construction and operationofthe same.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a fenceembodying my improvements; I1`ig.`2, a top view thereof; Fig. 3, adetail sectionalview of oneof the pickets, and Fig. 4 a perspective viewshowing a former mode.

In this class of fences, where the pickets are held in place byencircling twists of twisted strands of wire, when the wire bindsagainst the smooth ungrooved surface ot' the picketsuch as shown in Fig.4of the drawin gs-f-water, dust, &c., are held just above the point ofcontact. The dirtandwatercollected at this point in time rot andOtherwise damage the picket. It has also been practically demonstratedthat in fences of this class, when the pickets are ovolo, diamond,rectangular, or ot' any other cross-section shape that presents acontinuous smooth surface to the wire, the pickets become displaced bothvertically and laterally, as the wire cannot be twisted around thesepickets so as to securea hold. This displacement entirely destroys theutility of the fence for ornamental purposes, so that it is onlyusefulfor farm and the like fencing. These disadvanages it is the object of mypresent invention to obviate, and also to produce a simple, durable, andefficient fence for ornamental purposes that will vie in point ofbeauty, excellence, and and like fences now in use, and that can,however, be manufactured at a cost not exceeding that ofy the same classot' fences having smooth-surfaced pickets, which are worthless forornamental fencing by reason of their sagging and ready displacement.

To this end I form the pickets,

tain extent, enter and bind in the intermediate ridges, b, around theent-ire surface of the picket. By this means the wire binds in thepicket in a plurality of places on both side surfaces, and e'ects theabsolute locking in place of the picket, so that sagging or displacementin any direction is obviated. By reason of this shape of pickets,whichhave a plurality of projecting ridges or points oneach sidesurface, and the relative action of the securing-twists c against theseridges, which effects absolute locking of the picket, I am enabled -toproduce a lfence for ornamental purposes of great commercial value at acost not exceeding that of the commonest form of ornamental advance incost of fences of the common smooth pickets. This improved ornamentalfence will also ever present a clean and neat apperance, as all rain andother water will run down the grooves or channels and ott at the bottom,thereby washing the fence on all sides and4 down its entire surface, andpreventing accumulations of dust, dirt, Sac., at any point.

D designates the posts of my improved fence, which may be alsochanneled, it' desired.

I am aware that fence-palings for use in wooden fences have beenheretofore grooved for the passage of air for drying purposes, and I`therefore do not broadly claim a grooved picket.

Inthis class of fences pickets diamond shape or the like incross-section are sometimes used, and these of course present acontact-point or projecting portion at the center, against which theencircling twist of wire binds and can slightlyenter; butin practicethis central bearing-point only serves to the disadvantage of the fence,as this central bearin g acts as a pivot in sagging and does not possessbearin g power sntlicieut to prevent vertical displacement. This singlebearing-point soon becomes worn and the pickets work loose; but in Inyinvenits kind having encing, and at no IOO . admit of the wire enteringthem at any point vin manufacture tion the pickets are entered by theWire to a greater extent and in a plurality of places on each sidesurface, which obviously prevents pivotal or vertical displacement.Piekets of elliptical, ovolo, and like cross-section shapes present toogreat a smooth rounded surface to to obtain a hold in practicalmanufacture. When pickets rectangular or square incrosssection are usedthe four points of the picket, two at each end, cannot be clamped hy theencircling wire twists, as, owing to the position of the points and Hatsides, it isimpracticable to clamp the twists into these points, for thereason that sufficient purchase of the wire cannot be obtained, and thewire necessarily bulges out and over the surface of these rectangularpickets, this action of the wire increasing according to the thicknessand stiffness of the wire used. Besides, the neat, clean, and finishedappearance necessary for ornamental fencing of this class cannot besecured with rectangular pickets having the wire bulging over theirsurfaces; but in piekets of my construction, when the wire is not onlyenabled to enter the picket at a plurality of points on each sidesurface, but in which the shape of the picket also conforms to thebulging of the wire, neatness and efficiency,

with all other requisites of ornamental fencing of this class, aresecured.

It will also be observed that by means of the herein-describedconstruction of picket, having the projecting ridges on all sides, andthe encircling wire twists entering all ot' said ridges, a mutualsupport is effectedby which neither the pickets nor wires can in`y anymanner be displaced.

I do not broadly claim a picket having contact-edges; but

What I do claim as my invention is'- As a new and improved article ofmanufacture, a picket-and-wire fence consisting of the pickets having aplurality of successive projecting ridges, the series extending aroundits entire surface, with two or more of these ridges on each sidesurface, and having the encircling twists of the securing-wire enteringand bind# ing in all of said ridges to lock the picket on all sidesfirmly in position and obviate its displacement in any direction, as setforth.

In testimony that l claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy si, ,gnature in presence of two witnesses.

WILBER THOMAS.

Witnesses:

B. F. BERRIAN, E. H. HEAD.

